West Springfield: Yup! Pigs Can Fly!

The Palmer Citizens Casino Study Committee determined the annual cost to host Mohegan Sun would be $18 MILLION to $39 MILLION, excluding the estimated $50 MILLION to bring water from the Quabbin Reservoir.

Anyone who believes Hard Rock will reduce taxes ignores reality.

West Springfield committee makes recommendations for host agreement with Hard Rock International
By Suzanne McLaughlin, The RepublicanThe Republican
on June 21, 2013

WEST SPRINGFIELD - The Town Council casino mitigation committee has sent a letter to the mayor with its recommendations for a possible West Springfield host agreement with Hard Rock International.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - The Town Council casino mitigation committee has sent a letter to the mayor with its recommendations for a possible West Springfield host agreement with Hard Rock International.

Brian J. Griffin

Hard Rock is competing with MGM in Springfield and Mohegan Sun in Palmer for the lone casino license for Western Massachusetts.

Brian Griffin, vice president of the Town Council and chairman of the Town Council Casino Mitigation Committee, sent a four-page letter to Mayor Gregory Neffinger with recommendations for the host agreement.

The committee is recommending an annual payment in lieu of taxes, with a percentage of the money going to reduce residential and business property taxes.

Neffinger said Friday that he had not yet seen the recommendations.

“It has not come across my desk yet,” he said. “I have not had a chance to review it.”

He added, “I am here every day. My door is open.”

The committee also recommends a “community enhancement fee” to be paid over a term of two years, for capital improvements that will need to be made, including the area around the proposed casino.

The committee also recommends a “community impact fee” with a 2.5 percent increase each year. The funding, according to the recommendation, would be used for the “manpower, technology and equipment needed each year that would not otherwise be needed if such a facility was not built.”

A 10-person committee would oversee the foundation.

Griffin also recommended that “Hard Rock shall design, install and maintain an outdoor skating rink for public use during the winter season to be located on the project site.”

He also recommended that the casino operator sponsor or hold an annual hockey festival at the site.

Hard Rock would be required to open the rink the first winter after the casino opens and continue operations for at least five years.

The committee also recommended that Hard Rock “work in a good faith, legal and nondiscriminatory manner” to hire West Springfield residents in the development process, as well as for permanent jobs.

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/06/west_springfield_committee_mak_1.html

Bravo West Springfield! Bravo Brian J. Griffin!

West Springfield town councilors stick to stand on casino committee

Published: Saturday, October 13
Sandra Constantine, The Republican

Brian J. Griffin

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Despite criticism from the mayor, Town Councilor Brian J. Griffin said Friday he intends to remain “proactive” about the negative impacts a casino in Springfield could have on the community and continue his work with the newly formed Ad Hoc Casino Mitigation Committee.

Griffin was elected chairman of the committee Friday by its other two voting members, town councilors Angus M. Rushlow and John R. Sweeney. Town Council President Kathleen A. Bourque serves in an ex-officio capacity on the committee.

Earlier in the week, Mayor Gregory C. Neffinger issued a press release chastising councilors as being negative in their approach by using the word “mitigation.” The mayor also said instead of forming a committee, the councilors should go to seminars and other regional meetings about plans for a casino in Springfield as he has done.

“We’d be far ahead of the curve if we plan for it,” Griffin said of the possibility a casino will be built in neighboring Springfield. There are proposals on the table to have a casino on the south and north ends of Springfield as well as one off Page Boulevard.

The committee’s first order of business will be to invite Neffinger to a meeting, according to Griffin.

“We hope we have a good response from the mayor. We can work together to have a better West Springfield,” Griffin said.

Bourque had a similar take on the issue.

“We are just trying to be proactive. We’ve been proactive for 11 years,” she said. “We’d be happy to work with the mayor on this.”

Griffin and Bourque said a casino in Springfield would affect such areas in the city as public safety, housing and schools.

As for Neffinger’s contention that there is little to no money available for mitigation, Griffin said there is money available for neighboring communities to negotiate agreements with casinos from the $400,000 in nonrefundable money developers must put up to apply to build a casino. [Griffin has done his homework, unlike Mayor Neffinger!]

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/10/west_springfield_councilors_st.html